The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-24
PREsBYTERIANs AT WORK.
Will Unite With the Other Bodies on
Their own Basis.

ST. LOUIS, May 23.--In the Southern
Presbyterian Assembly this morning the
Committee on Organic Union, Cooperative
Union, OF other relations with the PreSbyte-
rian Church of the United States, DR.. Smoot,
of Texas, chairman, presented their reports.
The committee is composed of twenty-siX
members, sixteen of whom made a majority
report, nine minority report and one what
he called minimum minority report. The
majority report recommends the appoint
ment of a committee to be composed of three
ministers, five ruling elders and the moder-
ator of the assembly, to confer with SINH
lar committee from the other assembly, and
consider the whole subject, the committee to
report at the next General Assembly in May
next. This committee is instructed to take
and maintain the following position:
THEIR VIEWS MUST BE ACCEPTED.
"a mere acceptance of the Committee on
Standards of our church confession of faith
and the shorter catechisin, does not, in our
minds. form a sufficient basis of union, but
the acceptance of that peculiar interpreta-
tion of our standards, which affirms and
emphasizes the purely Scriptural nature of
| Christs kingdom and forbids her legisla-
| ton on political or civil matters is the only
| true basis of o union; and further, we in
sist that the colored brethren within our
| bounds shall be organized into separate con-
gregations, presbyterieS and synods."
The minority report says We are of the
opinion that the difficulties in the way of
| organic or cooperative union are SO numer-
| Gus and of so serious nature that they can
not be removed They arise out of the fact
that the churches are not agreed in matters
of either principle or policy. The plea that
| the two have the same confession of faith
| NAV be fully met by the simple statement
tbat oil avyopualicoI dprorsa mat finnc bava ba
same Protestant Bible, but the difference in
one case, as in the other, arises out of the in
terpretation of the teaching of
| the two books, so separate
existence of the Southern church
is as much demanded, because Of that confess
sion of widely different Interpretation of the
language of faith, in matters both of doctrine
and government as the separate existence Of
other denominations of Christians is de-
manded because they are not sufficiently
| agreed in their essential tenets to constitute
one organic body. No suggestion has been
made for a removal of this most
serious obstacle, which meets us at
every opening OF this question.
To unite or attempt to unite two
| churches on any compromise of these funda-
mental differences, or upon any general
statement such as the reception of the
standards pure and simple would serve
| only to bring together those who could not
act in harmony, and would perpetuate strife
and alineations. These conclusions have
been reached by us after a full and careful
examination of the whole question in the
| light of all the papers submitted for our con-
| sideration. The discussion of this question
for sometime past has made il equally mani
fest that the further agitation Of this ques-
tion would hinder the progress and en-
danger the unity of our own churches"
The minimum minority report dissents
from the position Of the majority and says:
1.-THE union of the two bodies of Presbyte-
rians would make too large body, and its
| entertainment would be an lntOlerable bur-
den on the churches where its meetings
should be held. The union would
produce dismemberment of the
Southern church, large numbers of the
members of the latter body being
radically opposed to such action. The as
sembly should solicit an expression from
every Presbyterian before taking action A
messenger should not be sent out to find q
wife for body before it was known that
the body wanted wife" The matter was
then laid over until tomorrow A commu-
nication was received from the American
House of Bishops of the Episcopal church
with reference to the union of all Protestant
churches, and expressing hope that the un-
happy breach now existing between the
| various Christian churches could be healed
|
the Christian union against the usurpation
of the Bishop of Rome were referred to
committee. The communication enumer-
ated the grounds of common belief
and practice among the Protestant churches.
The Judicial Committee, through Doctor
Rutherford, its chairman, presented a re-
port on the appeal of Rev. d. r. Robinson,
from the Synod of North Carolina, and a
complaint of the Presbytery of Meckleu-
burg against the same Synod, remanding the
case to the Synod of North Carolina. Re
manding was recommended, Doctor Ruther-
ford said, in hopes that it might be settled
amicably by the Synod of North Carolina.
NOT ALL IN UNITY.
OMAHA, May 23.--In the Presbyterian
General Assembly to-day w. G. Burcbard
from the Committee ON Missions for the
Freedmen, reported 217 churches, 2S0 mis-
sionaries and 15,5S9 members Total dis
bursements for the year were S126, ,226.
The receipts were S11S,29z. The Secretary
of the board made n forcible speech
in favor of the continued support of
the board. The report of the committee
was referred back because some Of the over
lures before the committee had not been
acted upon. 1t was decided to amend the
charter of Bedell University, Charlotte, N
c., by confning education there to the
colored people.